Carry on Trekking

A Few Facts

dave_sarah — Thu, 9 Apr 2009 19:31:00 GMT

Whenever you finish a trip you always look back on what you've been up to and the accountant in me likes to work out the stats, so here they are:-

We've spent over 100 hours in the air and Dave jumped out of one.
Travelled by 15 different modes of transport (car, bus, taxi, tuk tuk, bike, train, subway, tram, maglev, cable car, plane, boat, horse, camel and our own two feet).
Crashed 1 car...
Read 52 books of varying quality - you'll read what you can get at the bookswap!
Swam in 3 oceans.
Broken 2 pairs of glasses (both Dave's).
Spent the equivalent of a fortnight sleeping on buses.
Visited 16 countries and 2 Special Administrative Regions.
Passed through 29 different airports (I think we're experts now).

Sarah

Final Days on the Road

dave_sarah — Thu, 9 Apr 2009 19:17:00 GMT

Our last week or so in China was really good full of some amazing experiences. Here are a few of the highlights:-

Camel Trekking in Inner Mongolia. It was only a baby desert but picture perfect with yellow sand dunes heading in all directions. Dinner in the desert was a takeaway Chinese (of course) delivered with beers on camel back - a very civilised way to camp.

Climbing the Great Wall. We trekked for 10 kms along the wall and the ridge line it follows. The scenery is stunning with beautiful rolling hills below. We were so lucky that the sun was shining and there were hardly any tourists about. We topped it off by taking a zip wire down to an ice cold beer at the end.

Forbidden City. A huge complex of courtyards, palaces and gardens, once hidden from the masses but now overrun by tourists...

From China, we went to Phuket (via 3 flights in one day and they all connected perfectly thankfully) for a final relax. We had a lovely time basking in the sunshine and swimming whenever it got too hot (very often).

Now, we're sat in Bangkok waiting to go to the airport and start our final flight home. We've had a fantastic time with memories of a lifetime but we promise not to bore anyone with all the tales (unless they ask of course...). It's on to the next adventure now.

Sarah

xxx

China Adventures

dave_sarah — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:33:00 GMT

We've been in China for 3 weeks now but have had a little trouble getting internet access, hence the lack of stories...

We started off in Hong Kong where we were able to revisit some favourite sites in slightly better weather i.e. it wasn't raining this time! It was nice to be somewhere familiar again with shops from home even if life is lived at full throttle. Then it was on to the slower pace of Macau, you could tell there was more of a laid back Mediterranean influence. They also specialise in fantastic egg custard tarts, so we ate too many of them in our 24 hour visit. Next we went into China proper and after another night train arrived in Yangshuo. This is a really cute little old town in beautiful Karst landscape with (I think) the Li River running though - this is what we imagined China to look like! We immersed ourselves in local culture learning Mahjong, cycling through the countryside and going for a cooking class. As we got to eat what we cooked I can say we were both very impressed with our own efforts!

Then it was time for our Yangtze River Cruise, wher we had a very scenic trip through the Dam and the slowly flooding Gorges. It did feel a ;ittle Hi-de-hi-ish as they gave us wake-up music and announcements on the organised activities... We finished our cruise at the City of Ghosts, where we got to climb up to the Chinese hell (their Gods have some very imaginative punishments designed to match the crimes). They have some tests along the way and even Dave's balance held up long enough to show he was a good boy really!

We then went along to Chengdu to see the Pandas. They are incredibly cute but very lazy and a bit thick. Their favourite position seems to be sprawled back like Roman Emperors with piles of bamboo resting on their big bellies and munching their way through the tastiest morsels. Then it was on to Shanghai, where bits look very like London - though there are a few more skyrises. We had a good few days exploring and eating our way through the city before moving on to Shaolin. We got to watch the kungfu monks and even had a lesson ourselves ( well it just seemed the thing to do). I wouldn't say that we're naturally gifted but we weren't completely hopeless (apart from me tripping over the mat and Dave's lack of flexibility). In Xian we got to see the Terracotta Warriors, which were a truly impressive site - we took far too many photos as per usual.

Now, we're in Inner Mongolia and heading out on a Camel Trek across the desert - should be an experience!

Sarah

Gallery: China

dave_sarah — Sat, 7 Mar 2009 23:21:00 GMT

Gallery: Macau

dave_sarah — Sat, 7 Mar 2009 23:15:00 GMT

Gallery: Hong Kong

dave_sarah — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 18:43:00 GMT

The Night Train

dave_sarah — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 10:03:00 GMT

Night trains and buses are strange things. To make the best use of your time, avoid boredom and -yes- save money too ;you travel overnight. Sleeping with total strangers in a very small space you arrive bleary eyed in a new place and you know you should go out and make the most of all this extra time you've created but you're a bit too tired to do it at normal speed.

That sounds quite philosophical for me but then again it's 6am, we arrived in Hanoi an hour ago and we're waiting to be able to start the day properly. Unsurprisingly nothing's open yet and we can't check in; after waking the receptionist up we did get somewhere to wait though.

After 10 months on the road we're beginning to feel like experts on overnight travel and can advise the best type of bus or train to go for. This last one was pretty good, a soft sleeper cabin with 4 bunks, which we had to ourselves till about midnight when 2 locals joined us putting on the main flourescent light in the process. At least it's better than the local karaoke we had inflicted on us at 4.30am on a recent bus trip...

Sarah

The Tailors of Hoi An

dave_sarah — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 23:43:00 GMT

Hoi An is famous for being the place to get clothes made in Vietnam and wow, it has a lot of tailors! However it does mean us poor tourists then have to run the gauntlet of trying to find a good one...

Our first try was a bit of a disaster. We'd thought we'd done things right - they showed us satisfied references, saw examples of their work but oh dear. I wanted a dress and blouse from them and they did all the measurements fine but when I went back for the first fitting the dress was all wrong. The bodice was very baggy and the skirt was too short but they said they would alter it, that's what fittings are for after all... When I went back they'd done the shoddiest adjustment for the skirt and made the bodice tight and loose in all the wrong places - I looked awful in it! They tried to tell me that it was because I'm a funny shape and they'd get it right next time... but we'd had enough. They might be able to sew but they couldn't tailor! With a very spirited argument we managed to get away.

It was then with some trepidation we went to a couple of different shops for a dress and a skirt. The experience was sooo different in both cases - the first fitting was almost right and everything was great the second time. No problems, arguments or stress. It was like that when I had some sandals made too. This place is a shoppers heaven (and it's really difficult to resist with quite that many shops...) and you can have anything made, the only problem is having to carry it so we were very restrained. Well, I was, Dave splashed out on 2 tie and cufflink sets...

Well, that's the clothes shopping over til Thailand!

Sarah

Good Morning Vietnam!

dave_sarah — Mon, 2 Feb 2009 19:46:00 GMT

As you've probably guessed by the title, we've left Cambodia and headed across the border to Vietnam.

Our last week in Cambodia was good. We spent a fair amount of time lazing on the beach - Sihanoukville is a bit like a cross between Costa del Cambodia and a Greek Island with beach bars cheek by jowl along the sand but we enjoyed it. We did get some exercise as well by trekking 6 hours through the jungle (up and down hill) to reach the abandoned Bokor Hill Station. If anyone's looking for somewhere to base a horror film this place could be a good location, it's got eerieness in spades... This was also the place where we got to play 'how many people can you fit in a Toyota Camry?' We managed 7 adults, not too bad but I reckon the locals could have beaten us hands down judging by how many they manage to squeeze in and on the shared taxis!

We've only been in HCMC so far in Vietnam but we're getting the night bus tonight to start our trip up the coast. HCMC is a nice city, and as we've been here during Tet (Chinese New Year) there's been red and yellow flowers and banners everywhere for a bit more decoration.

We had a trip to the Cu Chi tunnels which was really interesting - a lot of demonstration of the traps and weapons used to kill the Americans, a chance to shoot guns and a crawl through the tunnel (they've widened them since but we were still crawling in parts and as for the heat down there - well rather them than me). This visit combined with our trip to the War Remnants Museum certainly gave us an introduction to the American War as they call it here... We've also had a much more gentle trip to the Mekong Delta. A chance to admire the views, drift along the waterways and sample some very tasty food!

Sarah

xxx

Gallery: Vietnam

dave_sarah — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 01:53:00 GMT

All Visa'd Up!

dave_sarah — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 14:49:00 GMT

Well our extra long stay in Phnom Penh was worth it and we're now all visa'd up for the rest of our trip. The Vietnamese one was so easy, drop it off in the morning (with form, money and photos)and pick it up in the afternoon, that we felt brave enough to try the Chinese one too. You hear so many horror stories about how difficult it is to get with lots of proof etc. that we thought we'd use the hotel's visa service. It was a little disconcerting - we just gave them our passports, photos and cash with no form or proof or anything , they just had a chat with their contacts and asked us a few questions and we waited. Now we weren't sure what was happening but the passports came back today with visas in a very painless experience so we're pretty chuffed.

Cambodia does quite well in surreal experiences. We hard about this shooting range (well all the tuk tuks sell it) and Dave decided he fancied having a go (no, he doesn't grow up). We must have driven about an hour when we entered a Special Forces Compound with the gate opened by a guy carrying a meat cleaver as you do. We pulled up at the place and got handed a menu of guns - Dave chose the AK-47 of course... - then he got taken across to a rough concrete tunnel type thing where the guy slapped in a magazine and grunted 'shoot' then a little later did a little adjustment 'automatic' and then when the magazine was finished 'more'. And that was it - that was all he said. The whole thing took less than 10 minutes - it was competely surreal and highly amusing!

Carying on with the surreal theme was when we were looking round the Royal Palace, where it was full of school kids on a trip and some of them came up to us asking for a photo. We thought they meant for us to take one of them, but no - they wanted them with us...!

We finally leave Phnom Penh tomorrow with our passports (with visas) in hand and head down to the coast to see some more of Cambodia.

Sarah

xxx

Cambodian Adventures

dave_sarah — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 16:45:00 GMT

We’ve been in Cambodia just over a week now and are really enjoying it. It’s a quirky place, where the motorbikes are powered by vegetable oil (usually in the form of old pop bottles) bought from roadside racks, and you can’t walk down the street for more than 2 minutes without being offered a tuk-tuk or moto – they don’t understand our fondness for walking!

We started off in Siem Reap which as the gateway to the temples at Angkor is on the touristy side; the markets are filled to overflowing with the kind of purchases you only ever seem to make on holiday; they have a pub street – but it’s expanded a little these days to include a lane and alley too; and there are an awful lot of restaurants. It’s a fun place but the real draw of course is the temples. They are amazing. We spent 3 days exploring the different sites and being amazed at what had been created – a little bit more ornate than the castles we were building in the UK at the time! Unsurprisingly we also ended up climbing a lot of steps; they were incredibly steep and a little bit broken in places so it was harder than it looks in the photos, but worth it for the views.

Next we went to Kompong Thom, a provincial town next to some Pre-Angkor ruins, which isn’t really on the tourist trail yet. Sambor Prei Kok should be more famous and visited than it is but it was good to visit somewhere and not be one of many. This place was the capital before Angkor in around the 7^th to 10^th century (the dark ages back at home) and in amongst the jungle you can still see some impressive temples and carvings. You can also start to see the hand of Pol Pot here as many of the altars have been broken in his (and his cronies) search for treasure and statues were looted. There are a few bomb craters around the place too…

Then we came to Phnom Penh, where we are now. It’s a small, bustling city where the French influence can be seen in the wide streets and buildings but it’s very much Cambodian with life being lived in the streets and a need to dodge the motos wherever you are (pavements are just a short cut after all and if you can get there quicker by going the wrong way up the street…) We continued our education on the Khmer Rouge atrocities by visiting the Killing Fields and S21 yesterday – a truly heart-wrenching experience.

Sarah

xxx

Gallery: Cambodia

dave_sarah — Wed, 7 Jan 2009 22:02:00 GMT

Welcome to 2009

dave_sarah — Mon, 5 Jan 2009 18:16:00 GMT

I know it's been a while since I last updated this but well nevermind.

Leading up to Christmas we overlanded it through Malaysia stopping off at Melacca and Penang for a bit of colonial history and KL for the modern towers. In KL we stayed in Chinatown and Dave was in his element bargaining away at the night market. I'm not quite so into it - I always end up translating into pounds and I feel stupid when it turns out we're arguing about 10p... We ate very well in Malaysia, the food halls are fantastic and I think I have a slight addiction to steamed wontons.

Malaysia was a pleasant place but a little dull and we were really excited to get to Thailand. We stayed in Krabi town for a couple of days, and where we very rashly dedided to climb to a mountain top temple in the middle of the day. Those 1237 steps were tough and we had to take a few little breathers but the views at the top were spectacular and I for one was very proud of myself for making it up there. Christmas Eve we caught our pickup tuck to the port then our packed ferry to Ko Lanta (anyone would think that Christmas in the sun is a good thing!) Ko Lanta was great and a beautiful place to relax - we found a friendly beachbar for the evenings and the best spring rolls we've ever had! It is strange how amazing food turns up in unexpected places but who are we to grumble, we'll just eat it and enjoy. We also got to swim in the sea on Christmas day, a unique experience for us.

Then on the 2nd we started our epic journey out of the country - as Thailand had changed the rules in December so those arriving by land only had 15 days to stay we only till the 4th to get out. We ferried it back to Krabi at 8am in the morning - a lot quieter onboard this time - thencaught our overnight bus at 4.30pm. The bus was pretty comfortable apart from the air con - everyone ended up sleeping with their blankets over their heads to minimise the effects of the blowers and try and be a little warmer. That said, we were fairly refreshed when we got to Bangkok at 6.30am and after booking our onward travel went to explore. As the Royal Palace had been closed for the king's b'day last time we were eager to explore it but it was Saturday so we couldn't go inside any of the palace buildings but as we could explore the rest we thought we'd make the best of it. It is a beautiful and amazing place and very, very busy!

The next day it was another early start - we caught ones of the scam minibuses to the border (it was easier and similar price to the taxi and bus combo we would have had to do - plus it left later so we could get our free breakfast). After a couple of random halts, we stopped for lunch 10 mins from the border so the scam guys could get everyone's visas for them - it wasn't too bad they only charged an extra 15 dollars to take care of it... We already had visas from Oz so managed to avoid that. They then took us to the border and guided us through the queues while putting the hard sell on everyone to skip the bus and get a taxi instead. We'd only paid up to the border so avoided this too and infact they saved us money by finding us people to share the cab. The raod to Siam Reap is interesting and a rally experience but we made it 4 hours ahead of the bus - did something right!

Off to the temples tomorrow which should be great!

Love,

Sarah

xxx

Gallery: Thailand

dave_sarah — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 21:30:00 GMT

Gallery: Malaysia

dave_sarah — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 13:36:00 GMT

New Continents

dave_sarah — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 15:52:00 GMT

Well, we've left Australia behind us and are in Singapore now, not for long though as we move on to Malaysia tomorrow morning.

Our last couple of weeks in Oz were fun with sky diving (Dave only I'm not that mad) and surfing (it's a lot harder than it looks!) before the cultural highs of Canberra (one strange place) and Melbourne.

Singapore has been a chance to catch up with old friends and prepare for our final third... 8 months has gone really quickly but really well. We have done so many different things and seen so many amazing sights that the time's flown and Christmas is round the corner - seeing all the decorations in the heat just doesn't quite gel. I must admit though that I've had to drag Dave to M&S to satisfy my mince pie craving, it's strange what you miss!

Sarah

Some Sun..........

dave_sarah — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 19:47:00 GMT

and lots and lots of rain! Whoever said it was always sunny in Oz was lying! We've had some absolutely beautiful weather and really hot days but then there have been some very impressive storms - we had to sprint to get to undercover (a very convenient multistorey) and then just stood and watched as a tornado type thing whipped through with torrential rain and really strong winds.

We're working our way down the East Coast at the moment - our last stop was Hervey Bay where we had a dull and drizzly trip around Fraser Island. We still loved the place and saw and did some fantastic things - we also saw wild dingoes which was really cool. We then hopped on to Brisbane where we visited the Koala sanctuary - incredibly cute. And now we're in Surfers Paradise where we've been inundated by schoolies, this is a very strange thing where all the school finishers have a week where they go on holiday together for a week. So just imagine thousands of 18 year olds running around getting drunk - there's a kind of dull roar about the place!

Next stop Byron Bay to learn to surf!

Sarah

Red Centre

dave_sarah — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 21:16:00 GMT

We spent 8 days letting the others rush on our way through the outback from Adelaide to Alice Springs. We spent most nights camping out under the stars (when it wasn't raining - whoever said it never rains in the outback was lying!). Swags are definetly the way to go - kind of giant canvas sleeping bags with inbuilt mattresses, much better than tents and much closer to nature...

During the days we travelled hundreds of kilometres through barren and remote countryside visiting some beautiful and bizarre places. We discovered that to make an outback town all you need is a pub. Our favourite, William Creek, has a population of just 10 but we were there on Halloween so it was party night - at least there's no-one there to complain about the noise and the bar staff are probably the most drunk people there. Angorichina, ran it a close second as we found ourselves having a few drinks with the locals outside the shop but needing subtitles as the strine was so strong.

We went on some great hikes through the Flinders, Uluru, Kata Jtuta and Kings Canyon with some incredibly beautiful scenery - I did find myself amazed I was there and seeing it in a person a few times. We also saw a couple of cool sunsets and a lot more sunrises (4.30am starts are a bit tough when it's 3 in a row) - but it was so lovely that you didn't really mind. Plus, you needed to be up that early to do the walks before the heat kicked in.

All in all we had a fantastic trip with great people (Europe on tour - 11 people from 6 different countries) and memories to last a lifetime.

Sarah

Convict Trails

dave_sarah — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 21:07:00 GMT

Our first couple of weeks in Oz was spent following the convicts round Tassie. From Hobart and the Female Factory (well they were women so you couldn't really call it a prison now could you), through Richmond and the convict built bridge (the flagellator was a bit enthusiastic here and got thrown off by the chain gang), then on to Port Arthur (a beautiful site that was the scene of unspeakable horror) where we went on a ghost tour with nothing to report and we finished off with Sarah Island (the original secondary prison and a very profitable shipyard). All these places have amazing stories attached to them, and it wasn't really all that long ago. When we went to Perth we found out just how recent - Freemantle Prison was built by and for the convicts in the 1800s but only stopped being a maximum security prison in 1991... Tassie is also an incredibly beautiful island and we found ourselves tramping around again, my favourite was definitely the Bay of Fires, absolutely stunning beaches all to ourselves - pity it wasn't a little warmer!